Storm flooding a headache for residents

Published: Monday, April 21, 2014 at 07:29 PM.

FORT WALTON BEACH — Julia and Steven Ryan realized that Florida is rainy, but they never expected spring storms to flood their home twice in five days.

A week ago, in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the couple woke to major flooding on both sides of their West Sunset Boulevard duplex. The yard was a lake and the street barely passable.

“Wednesday and Thursday were spent cutting into the walls,” said Steven, who works at Hurlburt Field. “Some of the members of my squadron came to help.”
Friday, it flooded again.

The Ryans’ experience is a common one across Okaloosa County.

In recent weeks, County Commissioner Don Amunds has fielded multiple calls about flooding on multiple streets – Cloverdale, Echo Circle, Stephen – that are older and lower and lack storm water systems.

“There was no law, prior to 1994, that required any subdivisions to have storm water (drainage) in their neighborhoods,” he said. “Obviously a lot of developers didn’t put them in because it costs money.”

Amunds said it would cost the county about $50 million to fully fix its storm water problem.

“We want to help everyone we can, but at the end of the day, we only have so much money,” he said. “... In some ways, we’re paying the price of our forefathers.”
The Ryans were among the families Amunds talked to and said they appreciated the time he spent listening.

But their expectation is that the county will fix their drainage problems.

They said it’s clear that inadequate drainage is the problem. A house on one side of their duplex was brand new in November and has a yard that sits several inches higher than the Ryans’ yard. The home on the other side also sits higher.

“We’re in a bowl,” Steven said. “It all kind of settles at the lowest point.”

He and Julia, who is due to give birth to a baby boy in the next few days, and their 18-month-old son, Levi, had to move in with Julia’s grandparents in Navarre.
“It’s not safe,” Julia said of the water-damaged home. “When we came back, it smelled so bad.”

The bills are piling up and they lost their tenants, who ended up with 9 inches of water on their side of the duplex.

The Ryans are not sure how long they will be out of their home.

“We want to prevent it from happening again, with the county’s help,” Steven said. “Getting something done, that’s going to be the hard part.”

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FORT WALTON BEACH — Julia and Steven Ryan realized that Florida is rainy, but they never expected spring storms to flood their home twice in five days.

A week ago, in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the couple woke to major flooding on both sides of their West Sunset Boulevard duplex. The yard was a lake and the street barely passable.

“Wednesday and Thursday were spent cutting into the walls,” said Steven, who works at Hurlburt Field. “Some of the members of my squadron came to help.”
Friday, it flooded again.

The Ryans’ experience is a common one across Okaloosa County.

In recent weeks, County Commissioner Don Amunds has fielded multiple calls about flooding on multiple streets – Cloverdale, Echo Circle, Stephen – that are older and lower and lack storm water systems.

“There was no law, prior to 1994, that required any subdivisions to have storm water (drainage) in their neighborhoods,” he said. “Obviously a lot of developers didn’t put them in because it costs money.”

Amunds said it would cost the county about $50 million to fully fix its storm water problem.

“We want to help everyone we can, but at the end of the day, we only have so much money,” he said. “... In some ways, we’re paying the price of our forefathers.”
The Ryans were among the families Amunds talked to and said they appreciated the time he spent listening.

But their expectation is that the county will fix their drainage problems.

They said it’s clear that inadequate drainage is the problem. A house on one side of their duplex was brand new in November and has a yard that sits several inches higher than the Ryans’ yard. The home on the other side also sits higher.

“We’re in a bowl,” Steven said. “It all kind of settles at the lowest point.”

He and Julia, who is due to give birth to a baby boy in the next few days, and their 18-month-old son, Levi, had to move in with Julia’s grandparents in Navarre.
“It’s not safe,” Julia said of the water-damaged home. “When we came back, it smelled so bad.”

The bills are piling up and they lost their tenants, who ended up with 9 inches of water on their side of the duplex.

The Ryans are not sure how long they will be out of their home.

“We want to prevent it from happening again, with the county’s help,” Steven said. “Getting something done, that’s going to be the hard part.”